Top 10: Chief Compliance Officers in Healthcare

Compliance in the healthcare industry involves adhering to laws, regulations and ethical standards.

Healthcare, diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies need strong compliance leaders to make sure they stay within guidelines while ensuring patient safety and data security.

The role of a Chief Compliance Officer includes developing and overseeing active compliance programmes, training and policies.

Healthcare Digital lists the top Chief Compliance Officers in healthcare companies, ranked by their company’s revenue.

10. Jeff Pott

Company: AstraZeneca
CCO since: 2023
Revenue: US$54.1bn

Jeff Pott is Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel at AstraZeneca, after joining the company as a Litigation Counsel in 1995.

His 31-year tenure at AstraZeneca has involved leading the company’s legal function and human resources department.

The company has its own ethics and compliance platform, AZethics, which allows people to report concerns of misconduct or breaches of law or policy.

This reporting process is led by Jeff and his team, with the aim of fostering a free and inclusive culture.

9. Stephen Lawniczak

Company: AbbVie
CCO since: 2025
Revenue: US$56.3bn

Stephen Lawniczak is Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer at AbbVie, responsible for helping the company achieve its mission of discovering and delivering innovative medicines.

He is a life sciences attorney and compliance leader, with more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry.

Stephen said on LinkedIn: “I have been privileged to lead talented professionals and I focus on driving development and growth opportunities for my teams to ready the next leaders in pharmaceutical law and compliance.”

8. Pascale Schmidt

Company: Roche
CCO since: 2019
Revenue: US$66bn

Pascale Schmidt is Chief Compliance Officer at Roche, as well as being Chair of the Corporate Sustainability Committee.

She first joined Roche in 2003, working as a Legal Manager for the company’s Diagnostics division in France.

In her role, she coordinates a network of compliance specialists, working on setting compliance targets and supervising activities to ensure they adhere to high ethical standards.

She holds a Master’s degree in EU and Business Law and the Roche Diploma on Compliance.

7. Lisa LeCointe-Cephas

Company: Johnson & Johnson
CCO since: 2025
Revenue: US$88.8bn

Lisa LeCointe-Cephas is Chief Compliance Officer at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, which is the company’s medicine research division.

She began her career working in law at Kirkland & Ellis, before moving into the healthcare sector with Bristol-Myers Squibb.

She has previously held the role of Global Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at Merck, before taking her current position at Johnson & Johnson.

Lisa said on LinkedIn: “I focus on advancing modern compliance and governance frameworks that enable ethical, sustainable growth in one of the world’s most highly regulated industries.”

6. Ashlee Knuckey

Company: Centene
CCO since: 2022
Revenue: US$163.1bn

Ashlee Knuckey is Chief Risk, Ethics & Compliance Officer at Centene Corporation, with more than 13 years of experience in regulation and litigation.

She has worked primarily in the healthcare and insurance industries, establishing her reputation as a thought leader in government-sponsored and subsidised programmes.

In her current role, she has enterprise-wide responsibility for leading Centene’s ethics and compliance team through a programme that fulfills the expectations of government clients, providers and members.

Ashlee holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois.

5. Bryant Aaron

Company: Elevance Health
CCO since: 2021
Revenue: US$175.2bn

Bryant Aaron is Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at Elevance Health, following a 15-year career leading compliance and litigation at Novartis.

He brings expertise in compliance, transactional, litigation and international law.

In the company’s 2026 Code of Conduct, Bryant said: “Each of us bring the Code to life by living our bold purpose of improving the lives of humanity every day and by holding ourselves to the highest ethical standards, interacting in a highly open, honest positive manner and being guided to do the right thing.”

4. Jessica Mayer

Company: Cardinal Health
CCO since: 2019
Revenue: US$226.8bn

Jessica Mayer is Chief Legal & Compliance Officer at Cardinal Health, where she is responsible for overseeing the company’s Legal, Ethics and Compliance, Quality and Regulatory and Government Relations departments.

Prior to this role, she was Cardinal Health’s corporate secretary and deputy general counsel, leading the company’s legal department.

She serves as the chief advisor to the company’s executive management team and Board of Directors on all legal, strategic, transactional, quality, regulatory and commercial matters.

3. Jenny Wallner

Company: McKesson
CCO since: 2023
Revenue: US$308.5bn

Jenny Wallner is SVP, Chief Compliance Officer at McKesson.

She joined the company in 2009 after spending five years as a Health Care Associate at law practice Ropes & Gray.

In her role as a healthcare attorney, as well as her roles at McKesson, she used her expertise from her legal education and her Master’s degree in Public Health.

At McKesson, she has previously held roles as a Senior Counsel and Assistant General Counsel in the company’s Health Systems and Pharmaceutical divisions.

In these positions, she has been responsible for distribution deals with hospitals, health systems and care providers, as well as providing legal support for McKesson affiliates.

McKesson’s compliance and ethics team aims to foster a culture of integrity, transparency and accountability, providing guidance and resources across the company.

2. David Falkowski

Company: CVS Health
CCO since: 2015
Revenue: US$372.8bn

David Falkowski is SVP, Chief Compliance Officer at CVS Health, leading the company’s Compliance and Corporate Security & Resiliency teams.

Before taking on the role more than 10 years ago, he served as Vice President and General Auditor of CVS Health for four years.

In these positions, David helped improve the company’s audit practices and focus on compliance assurance.

He has more than 25 years of experience in a range of compliance, financial and operational leadership roles.

Prior to joining CVS Health, he held executive roles at National Grid in the UK and the US, working in the areas of rates, pricing and audits.

David is responsible for overseeing the company’s Compliance and Integrity Programme, which includes the Code of Conduct, policies, training, communications, auditing, monitoring and remediation of wrongdoing.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and an MBA in Finance from Bentley University.

1. Natalie Pons

Company: UnitedHealth Group
CCO since: 2022
Revenue: US$400.3bn

Natalie Pons is Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer at UnitedHealth Group.

She began her career as a legal associate at a law firm before moving into the health sector as a Senior Legal Counsel at PCS Health Systems.

Natalie spent seven years at the company, becoming the Chief Compliance Officer before she moved on in 2003.

Between 2004 and 2017, she worked at CVS Caremark, first as VP, Legal Services and Managing Counsel, then working as SVP, Assistant General Counsel in Health Care Services.

Natalie was Senior Vice President and General Counsel for OptumRx at UnitedHealth Group before taking up her current position in May 2022.

Her role involves leading the company’s Code of Conduct and ethics team, using her vast experience in law, finance and business administration.

Natalie says: “At UnitedHealth Group, our Code of Conduct and our shared values – Integrity, Compassion, Inclusion, Relationships, Innovation and Performance – are more than just words.

“They are the foundation of everything we do and reflect our deep commitment to the millions of people we are privileged to serve.”